Clifton CC

Just back from 2 weeks family camping in mid Wales (Rhayader). Took road bike and MTB and got a couple of hours in most days by dint of getting up very early. Some fantastic riding round there, real wilderness stuff.

Returned on Sat evening just in time for the Tan Hill Audax on Sunday. Its been a year of memorable epic rides and this one ranks well up the list. Fantatstic clear weather (the view into Swaledale from Buttertubs was simply stunning). Big turn out, looked like 50 riders in Shipton. Good to meet up with some old friendly faces. Simon Wright is always good value for money, Mac was riding with Bill Baker (I'll let one of them tell you their combined age!), there were a few Cycleworks types joining in which was good to see.

Usual big pelaton of about 30 rattled up to Masham in 90 mins from where it sorted out into several smaller groups. There were about 10 riders with us for most of the day (DaveC, IanH, Heather, SeanL, SeanW, Hub, Howard, KL). Bumped into Kevin a number of times while JohnS stopped for a pee near Helperby (unbeknown to us) and chased all the way to Leyburn! We were back in the HQ at 4-45 with a bonkers average speed and would have been somewhat earlier had it not been for Howard's pudding in Leyburn...

The "mentioned in despatches" list must start with Dave C who rode a 100mile TT on Saturday evening (4-31 without support) then rode TH with us! Thanks particularly to SeanL and Heather for looking out for me with I wilted and keeping me in the wheels - good to see the youngsters learning some road-craft.

Hope everyone else had an enjoyable day - I'd particularly like to hear how Mac and Bill got on. And I look forward to DarrenN's "Stewart Hallesque" missive which must surely be brewing!

Rob wrote: pelaton

Well done to the MTB Girls Team who did the Trans Wales last week.

Lisa, Steph and Gill endured 7 days of racing, special stages, camping, Welsh Mountains and Welsh food but survived to tell the tail. They rode most of the event as a group and Steph and Lisa continued their successful season with a 1st place in their category.

It was a good day out, but had a good group of people throughout the day. I found it quite touch at the start, suffering abit compared to my usual self up to hills, but I've got abit of a cold today that might be why.

That climb before the long descent to layburn was tough, kept on going, and going, and going, and going, and going.... forever, I've done it before but I forgot how long it was.

A stop at Leyburn was welcome, and I decided to have an english breakfast, surprisingly small it was, you could get 2x full English at the Morrisons for that (don't dis morrisions food , they do a good fish and chips!), but I liked the proper salty bacon I could have just ate a whole plate of it.

I picked up abit after layburn, but when we got back to the HQ, the cakes was a welcome sight.

It was good that the day was sunny all the way round, a nice change from the PG ride, allthough the wind was pretty strong, lukilly a tail wind on buttertubs though!

On the way home, I felt surprisingly good, so rather than just going home via Naburn, Stillingfleet, Cawood, home, I went, Naburn, Stillingfleet, Ricall, Barlby, Selby, Cawood and home, that gave me an extra miles of just over 16, so I got a PB of 181 mile, on a good day to do it.

http://tinyurl.com/3a7lru4

Suffering!

That seemed to be what I spent the whole of Sunday doing!

I knew I would find it tough, because I had been off the bike eating croissants and drinking rose for the previous 3 weeks, but with the Ron Kitching, 3 Bridges, Wiggington Audax, PGM220, own personal Ryedale Rumble etc etc in my legs this year I thought I would be okay!

It was a bit depressing how bad I had become in such a short space of time!

I started with the group which fractured relatively early on and within about 5 miles I relised I was in for it. I was really struggling to stay with Darren N and his new legs and let him know I was going to have to drop back. I slowed, only to be picked up by Kevin and "encouraged" to chase back on. He gave me a nice tow back to the group (cheers Kevin) and I tried to dig in to see if it might come back to me. Before we reached Helperby, it was pretty obvious that not only my legs but my heart and at least one of my lungs had forgotten all about bike riding and when Kevin wasn't looking, I sneaked off the back again!

I then rode solo until just outside Masham where the "slow group" picked me up and I tagged along with them to the first cafe stop. Unfortunately this group split at Masham and myself and 3 VC 167 riders left together into the head wind up towards Leyburn. I am afraid I didn't contribute much to the group - I just couldn't! Thanks for the tows lads. This group split at Wensley and I had a brief reasonable spell where I was able to share the work in the front group with the older member of VC167 (nearly 70 someone told me - didn't catch his name as I couldn't talk) and we battled into the headwind to the bottom of Buttertubs. I needed another break at that stage and I sat on a bench near the info control point eating a snickers and drinking my energy drink. It didn't help!

From there I rode on alone. I made it slowly up Buttertubs and Tan Hill and stopped to get my card stamped at the pub. I queued with several other riders for ages before abandoning any idea of getting a drink and decided to carry on to Reeth (is it just me or is it not a very nice place up there? I have been 3 times now on my bike and never really been made welcome). By this stage I had decided I wasn't going to have a long stop for lunch as I feared I might never get going again. I had a quick sandwhich in Reeth and set off alone again.

I found the climb over Leyburn moor by far the hardest, but I made it without stopping and then rode around Leyburn for 10 mins trying to find the control point (typical bloke! I should have asked someone as soon as I got there!).

It was only now that I started to feel a bit better and with a tail wind and the slight descent, I really enjoyed the run into Bedale and the rest of the ride back to HQ. I clocked back in at 1820h having learned at least 2 things: Tan Hill is a long way away and wine and croissants are no substitute for training.

Many thanks to Mark and his family for organising.

Well done everyone.

Mark

Yep, I rode ‘The Hill’ yesterday…and what a glorious day it was! Sunshine, warm temps, epic route...and cakes at the finish! Official starter, Mark A, confirmed that 52 hopefuls had shot out of the barrier at Shipton at 8.00am. I was pretty keen to sit in the ‘comfy chairs’ behind the wall of 30 riders belting out towards Masham and slotted in next to Mark L. Mark soon realised his 2-week wine and fine food training strategy had not miraculously turned him into a TdF contender overnight and he was forced to push the ejector button to ensure survival. A natural order of things then descended on the peloton; the psycho’s at the front and intermediate hacks like me at the back. We seemed to hit Masham in no time at all! Four of us: Jon G, two Richards & myself decided to split out from the mayhem at Masham and ride together for the remainder.

On the next leg up Wensleydale, we traded headwind duties on the front. The headwind was stiff but there’s only one thing going on in the head of a cyclist battling into a headwind on the way out, and that’s the thought of a tailwind on the way home! We also yo-yo’d past Mal on a couple of occasions, moving ahead, then seeing him again when our GPS took us up the wrong path, much to Mal’s amusement.

Then to Buttertubs. Recent experiences with steeper climbs had me comfortably coping with this one, albeit with the help of a great tailwind on our backs. Richard flew up Buttertubs like a rat up a drainpipe! As Rob O highlighted, the views at the top were sensational, something I missed altogether in the pouring rain of the PGM a month back. Before long, we were at the TH Pub, with the same sheep I saw a month ago passed out next to the wall, looking like it had enjoyed one guinness too many! I have the same sentiment as Mark L on the THP: get the stamp and move on. We left with John S and had a quick chat before he pressed his ‘warp speed’ button on the descent and disappeared. Mal then became a permanent fixture in our group as we stopped for natural breaks in Reeth, followed by the long haul up the hill to Leyburn.

When we arrived at the Posthorn in Leyburn, it was full to the rafters with Hill participants. The York Cycleworks crew were just rolling out, Heather was outside preparing for take off, Howard was inside demolishing a plate of something that looked very nice indeed, Will was creating a new sports gel experience with a marmalade bowl and Rob O’s group were looking as eager as cats on a hot tin roof to get off. It was great to see Kevin there as well. By the time we sat down, the place was deserted!

Mal cunningly threw us off the scent in the café by proposing moderate speeds home, before immediately throwing the plan out the door and belting us along at 26mph to Bedale! Things were going nicely as Jon G powered us towards the A1 junction. Then, on the roundabout just before the underpass, Jon didn’t see the inch-high lip on the inside rim of the roundabout and hit the deck spectacularly, although skilfully and instinctively placing his body between tarmac and machine to protect his prized steed (hope you’re feeling ok today Jon). Jon’s a tough nut though and after I suggested he sit on the back for a while, in no time at all he was powering past me to the front again! We made it back to Shipton at around 5.25 for the cakefest, my only pain being a sore Salman! (ie. Salman Butt, current Pakistan test cricket captain ).

Big thanks to Mark A and family for organising another sensational event – including the sunshine! Thanks also to Jon G, the two Richards and of course Mal for providing great company throughout. This was the last Clifton ride for one of the Richards before he moves to Southampton this week, …and what a great ride to end on – we obviously wish him the best. Well done also to Mark L for taking on the challenge and getting round…Under the circumstances, ride of the day for me!

That’s it for the epic challenge rides for me this year, as there is only a tiddler or two remaining in the series. As Rob O says, the challenge rides really have been a succession of memorable experiences for me and I really would encourage all mere mortals similar to myself to have a go next year; the more the merrier!…not to mention the fact that in moments of adversity, you make some great new friends as well! I progressed from enduring a pathetic struggle to get to Osmotherley and back on a club ride in May (some of you witnessed it!) to the point of feeling quite strong throughout The Hill on Sunday, simply by adopting a very basic fitness strategy: Just keep turnin’ up for the next one! Can’t wait for next year!



D.

Well what can I say what hasnt already been said. Another great ride in good weather ( despite the forecast, where were you Pete K!!!! ). The best the weather has been up Tan Hill for me after a handful of visits.
Ii certainly helps the views and again like others the view going over Buttertubs was fantastic. Also thanks for the company guys after Masham it was good to go at an "intermediate" pace. As Darren as said above I had a slight accident on the return leg but thankfully no serious damage done to man or machine just the usually road rash and soreness the following morming etc. I'm just glad I didnt bring anyone else down.

Thanks also to Mark for the organisation and tea and cakes at the finish.

cheers

Jon

Here is the link for the Transwales 2010 with details of the event. There are some good pictures of our winning solo pair. I did get a photo on the site too which I am so proud of.......a strange man washing my bike!


http://www.mtbtransuk.co.uk/wales/history_2010.php

I did the Swift 100 TT on Saturday, my 1st 100. It was ok until around 60 miles when I started to ache in various places but after 80 miles started to feel better and the last 10 was fine. I was happy with the time, especially as it was fairly windy. I obviously went as hard as i could with the pacing being critical. On Sunday morning I awoke feeling ok so I set off for the TH Audax. Managed to get round with the help of the group, see Rob's post above. Really enjoyed it and Thanks to Mark for the organisation and hospitality at the finish.

Dave

Looks like I missed a good Tan Hill ride. Been away for a week Wed to Wed so it was unfortunate to be a way for that weekend and miss the best ride on some of the best roads. The compensation being we spent the week in Shropshire complete with bikes and in-laws to allow us to ride said bikes. We didnt do that much cycling but on surely the heaviest, narrowest, twistiest, muddiest and steepest roads in the country we didnt need to. It is just about impossible to do a ride and average more than 15mph. You climb at 5mph and decend at 15 mph because there isn't more than 200 yds of straight road!
I had it on good recommendion that the Long Mynd climb out of Church Stretton is the must do climb of the region. With that in mind I had packed the papery thing with the pink cover and after much wine consumption had a route planned for the Sunday. As it turned out it was the best day of the week and we can confirm the Mynd is an absolute back breaker - well on 39x25 for me it was. an unbroken 1in 5 for a good mile followed by another uphill mile. The decent on the other side is just frightening. But it was just one of a number of really difficult climbs we did that day. An all day breakfast in Bishops Castle followed by more of the same on the run back. If I'm not painting a very good picture of the area I dont mean to the scenery is just fab - just dont be in too much of a hurry! If we'd ridden round the courtyard of our cottage a couple of times we'd have got 50 miles in that day!

As no one else has posted I'll report on Bernard's 'alternative to TH Sunday ride'..

Seven riders left the square at 9 with Bernard promising some excellent views from the Humber bridge. And so it turned out - a route based on the outward leg of the 3 Bridges with a few minor variations. A clear sunny day so the views across from the fringe of the Wolds was lovely. A 'sensible' pace meant crossing the bridge at lunchtime with a leisurely lunch at the green-roofed cafe at the far end of the bridge (Hunny Pot cafe??). Then back over the bridge and a return via a flatter route to the west of the Wolds escarpment - nice to ride these roads as most of the rides I do don't come this way.

Overall mileage of around 97 miles for me and my legs didn't ache the next day for a change - It was nice to be able to natter as we rode for once - a rare treat for me as usually I'm on the rivet trying to keep up with Howard, Ian et al these days

Thanks to all - esp Bernard - for a good day out.